


the last thing we lose

by ottermo



Series: As Prompted [32]
Category: Humans (TV)
Genre: F/F, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-25
Updated: 2017-10-25
Packaged: 2019-01-22 23:21:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 747
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12493168
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ottermo/pseuds/ottermo
Summary: Laura speaks to Astrid before she leaves the trial compound.





	the last thing we lose

**Author's Note:**

> Written for Week 1, Day 6 of the Humans 4-Week Challenge. The prompt was "Missing Scene".

****Astrid seemed not to notice Laura coming out of the room, and into the corridor where she was waiting to be escorted from the facility. Briefly, Laura thought about turning and walking the other way - she had no idea what to say to the young woman, no assurances to give. Somehow, though, she ended up drawing close to her. As though the truth was magnetic, bonding together the people who knew it, no matter what.

Pain and confusion were still clouding Astrid’s features, and Laura didn’t blame her. It had been shocking enough - chilling, even, at first - to find out that there was a real person inside the machine that was Mia’s body. To find out there was a machine inside a real person… that was a very different experience, not just a ‘vice versa’, Laura recognised that. She put aside the temptation to commiserate in similarities. It wouldn’t be helpful at present, quite apart from the risk of being overheard.

“I’m sorry,” she said, instead. “I could have prepared you, but it was important that they saw how shocked you were.”

Astrid nodded, staring somewhere past Laura’s shoulder, blindly. Then she focused, met her eyes. “Do you think it was enough?”

Laura gave a sad smile. “I don’t know. I hope they’ll at least take it into consideration.” She paused. “Do you?”

Astrid frowned. “Do I think it was enough?”

“Do you _hope_ it was,” Laura said.

Astrid went distant again, and Laura thought about saying, _you don’t have to answer. You don’t know me and I shouldn’t have asked_.

“I hope I wake up and this was a dream, all of it since she left that day,” Astrid said, wistful. “I hope she’s lying there next to me, pretending to be asleep while she builds up the courage to tell me the truth.” She tilted her head slightly, addressing the ceiling. “So yes. I hope it was enough.”

Laura watched her, her heart constricting inside her. “I’ll do everything I can.”

“I know.” Astrid looked at her again, her eyes searching. “You’re more than her lawyer, aren’t you? You know her.”

Laura nodded. “She’s a friend of the family.”

“Do you think she was ever going to tell me?”

“I…” Laura wondered briefly if she really knew Niska well enough to answer that. “She’s guarded, I’m sure you know that. Her life is very dangerous, and she’d have hated putting you in the line of fire.” She paused. “But yes. I think she would have, eventually. She’s not ashamed of who she is. She just has to be careful.”

“So why did she leave Berlin when she did? She was safe there.”

 _To come here_ , Laura answered silently, _to let a group of strangers decide if she deserves to live_. “You’d have to ask her,” she said finally. “But, if it helps,” ( _If you never get to do that, if they kill her, if I let them kill her_ ), “I know she wanted to be assessed, and recognised as human. Maybe she thought it would be easier for the two of you, if she could have that.”

Astrid buried her hands in her pockets. “Maybe.”

“She kept your number,” Laura said, impulsively, blurting it out as soon as she thought of it. “She didn’t need to do that. Her memory’s perfect, she doesn’t need reminders, but she chose to keep it. I would never have found you, if she hadn’t. She must’ve…”

_She must have really liked you._

Astrid seemed to hear the trailed-off sentence through to the end, despite Laura’s falter. Her mouth curved in a sad smile. “I know.”

They stood in silence for a few more moments, Laura fighting the urge to say more. She shouldn’t give out false hope. What was the use in reminding Astrid that it had all been real, if it was never going to continue?

A man appeared at the end of the corridor, and spoke as he neared them. “Taxi for Ms. Schaeffer? It’s waiting outside.”

“Thank you,” Astrid said. She looked back to Laura. “I’m always going to hope. Even if I sleep a hundred years.” She adjusted the bag that hung over her shoulder, preparing to follow the guard back outside. “Goodbye, Mrs Hawkins.”

Laura watched her go. She carried on watching until Astrid was entirely out of sight, as if she owed it to Niska to take in every last second of her presence. Even if it was to see her walk away.


End file.
